Year in Review

I could not have wished for a better 2011. As the year winds to a close, my mind is so full of great memories that I can hardly believe they are all contained within the January-to-December window of a single year. From a leisurely New Year’s Day in New York City with my Villanova crew, to adventures in Hong Kong, China, Macau and the Philippines, to very special visits from some of my best friends from back home, the past twelve months have provided me with endless adventure, entertainment and pure pleasure. Looking back, I’m getting a little nostalgic, but I know that 2012 can be just as great. I have high hopes for the new year and can’t wait to see what it has in store for me!

I’m going to send 2011 out with a bang (and kick-start 2012) down in Singapore. I have a good friend, Sonia, who moved from Hong Kong to our economic rival and neighbor a few months ago, so a little end-of-year jet set was obviously in order. In fact, I'm leaving in just under four hours! And I only booked my tickets about an hour ago! I haven't been to Singapore since I went to visit Jamie there in August 2010, so I'm very excited to go back. I hope it's an amazing ending to an amazing year.

As I mentioned, I’m feeling quite nostalgic for the year that is about to end, so I’ve put together “a year in pictures” with one photo representing each month… my year in a nutshell!

January

Our Chinese neighbor Sindi treated Valentine, Pietro and me to a delicious Chinese dinner in Taikoo Shing in January.

February

Chinese New Year in Bohol, Philippines, standing over the Chocolate Hills

March

It's easy to make new friends in the South Stand during Rugby Sevens weekend!

April

My friends Julie and Devin organized a nice dinner at Wooloomooloo before they moved back the US.

May

Without doubt, one of the year's highlights was when Lisa and Tak came to visit!

June

Summer is 'junk season' in Hong Kong and it's one of the best times of the year in the SAR.

July

My friend Stephanie celebrates one year living in Hong Kong!

August

The Red Hot Chili Peppers gave a concert here this summer!

September

In early September, my friend Kristen came to visit me in HK and I organized a junk trip so she could meet all of my friends.

October

Colonel Mustard, Reverend Green and Professor Plum—Halloween 2011

November

One last look at my old apartment... Thanks for the memories, Tollochee Doe!

December

Christmas Eve in Wan Chai

"It’s Christmastime in the City"

Last night I went with some friends to see The Nutcracker, put on by the Hong Kong Ballet in the Grand Theatre of the Cultural Centre. Afterwards we went for a Thai meal at an al fresco restaurant situated beside an ice-skating rink, complete with merry holiday tunes. Christmas in Hong Kong is in full swing!

I love the Christmas season here. The city goes over-the-top with its decorating, scrawling huge Santa Clauses, snowmen, carolers and angels over the façades of the city’s waterfront skyscrapers. Every single building, hotel lobby, shop window and restaurant is dressed to the nines in seasonal garb, with trees, wreathes, tinsel, poinsettias and garland galore. It’s a fantastic time to be in Hong Kong, especially because the weather has cooled down a bit, and 96° days are a thing of the past (for a few months, anyway). It’s in the lovely 65°-75° range most days, which still manages to feel appropriately chilly after the summer heat we’ve just endured. I still don’t understand the locals donning gloves and scarves, but every day you see them on the streets dressed like they're ready to brave the wilds of Alaska!

Festive skyscrapers in Central

Hong Kong's tallest building, the International Commerce Center in Kowloon, puts on perhaps the most impressive and extraordinary lighting display: it somehow manages to send reindeer flying across the face of the building, while snowflakes gracefully glide down its side. I wasn't at the best vantage point when I took the video below, but it was the only time I saw the incredible sight with my camera in tow, so it will have to do.

ICC's memorable Christmas lighting display

Since I missed the Hong Kong holiday season entirely last year while I was home, it’s especially nice to savor Christmas here this year. At the same time, there are tons of things I definitely miss about a good old American Christmas, especially being with my family. It’s a trade-off for sure, but I’m happy to continue alternating between a Christmas spent in Hong Kong and a Christmas spent back home.

Christmas market in Wan Chai

Pottinger Street in Central

I also miss legitimate cold weather and, most of all, snow. Don’t get me wrong—the beach barbecue we had on Sunday was wonderful—but having grown up in the Northeast, I’m accustomed to celebrating my Christmas with a log on the fire and white stuff on the ground. Somehow it doesn’t feel 100% Christmas without that.

Grand Millennium Plaza, near my office in Sheung Wan

Luckily I stumbled upon a website called ‘Faux Fire’ and have been visiting the page quite a lot lately. It shows a glowing, burning fireplace and plays awesome Christmas music as the Yule logs blaze. Hopefully I get a Jersey Christmas next year, but until then, this is at least a passable proxy.

Buildings along the East TST waterfront

There’s even snow at Hong Kong Disneyland. Well, it’s not quite snow—it’s just soap spewed into the air—but it looks surprisingly real until it lands on your clothes and you inspect it closely. Using my season pass, I visited a week or so ago to soak up their “Sparkling Christmas” celebrations, and was treated to parades, pyrotechnics and pageantry featuring Mickey, Minnie and all the Disney favorites.

Mickey surrounded by poinsettias

Santa Mickey

Minnie Mouse

The Disney Christmas Tree

 Christmas on Main Street

Entrance to the park

Snowy conditions on Main Street

Main Street, USA!

Red and green Sleeping Beauty's Castle

More snow!

Goofy, Mickey and Minnie during the Holiday Illumination

Rich and Ally have both flown back to the U.K., as has Kevin and plenty of my other friends. In all honesty, I’d say about 85% of Hong Kong expats return home at Christmastime, but that leaves a decent group staying here to spend some quality time together experiencing all that the city has to offer.

Even the lobby of my new apartment building does its best to get in the Christmas mood!

Work has nearly slowed to a halt, as is customary at year’s end, and most people seem focused on holiday shopping, present wrapping and party planning. All that’s left for me is to get a last-minute Christmas tree and figure out a rather intricate “secret Santa” scheme I’ve gotten involved in. You see, for Christmas dinner, some friends invited Remco and me to the Peak Café for a traditional meal with sixteen total guests. Instead of buying just one present for one of these guests, the organizer has dreamed up a crazy variation: buy one small HK$10 present (about $1.30) for each!!! So my next few days leading up to Christmas will be spent bargain hunting all around town! Wish me luck as Hong Kong Christmas reaches its zenith!

Merry Christmas from Hong Kong!